burner12 Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 I recently got an F-4J resin cockpit, and either read or somebody told me that the way they make resin pieces yo have to soak them in soapy water before you can put any paint on. Is this true? If so for how long? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Many builders do scrub or soak their resin parts before painting. Stuff called "mold release" is used when casting resin parts that allows them to be removed from their rubber molds easier. This same mold release may be still on the parts. If so, it can affect whether or not your paint adheres to the parts properly, or cause "fish-eyes" and other paint finish problems. It's up to you whether you want to wash them, or take your chances and skip the step. I very seldom wash my resin goodies, and have had very few problems. But then again may have just been lucky! It's a good idea to submerge them in warm soapy water, scrub them gently with an old toothbrush, rinse them, and allow them to air dry overnight. By the way, regular plastic kits can also have this same problem! Hope this helps. GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomordie Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Not only resin parts but you should soak all pieces and parts plastic and resin. Mold release can cause fish eyes. Some people wear soft gloves when assembleing a model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burner12 Posted February 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Many builders do scrub or soak their resin parts before painting. Stuff called "mold release" is used when casting resin parts that allows them to be removed from their rubber molds easier. This same mold release may be still on the parts. If so, it can affect whether or not your paint adheres to the parts properly, or cause "fish-eyes" and other paint finish problems. It's up to you whether you want to wash them, or take your chances and skip the step. I very seldom wash my resin goodies, and have had very few problems. But then again may have just been lucky! It's a good idea to submerge them in warm soapy water, scrub them gently with an old toothbrush, rinse them, and allow them to air dry overnight. By the way, regular plastic kits can also have this same problem! Hope this helps. GIL So from what you have said you would recommend to not soak them but just use them as is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenderson Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Yes. Yes not long at all. The same goes for an injection molded kit. Oils from the production process can sometimes remain on the parts. When paint hits a spot with that residual oil, the result is a minor mess that will require a bit of sanding and re-painting. I always give all of the resin parts / sprues of a plastic kit a quick wash in warm soapy water before doing anything else - the now ritual first step. I just put enough warm water into the sink or a tub to cover all of the parts, (making darn sure the drain is tight if you use the sink), squirt some dishwashing detergent in, gently run an old toothbrush over the parts, rinse then dry. I recently got an F-4J resin cockpit, and either read or somebody told me that the way they make resin pieces yo have to soak them in soapy water before you can put any paint on. Is this true? If so for how long? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Richard: what I said is YOU'LL need to decide if you think you need to wash them. Personally, I don't. However, from the other replies you've gotten, it seems more people DO. If you like to do things on the "safe side", you'll want to scrub the resin or plastic parts to be sure to avoid painting problems. GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burner12 Posted February 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Richard: what I said is YOU'LL need to decide if you think you need to wash them. Personally, I don't. However, from the other replies you've gotten, it seems more people DO. If you like to do things on the "safe side", you'll want to scrub the resin or plastic parts to be sure to avoid painting problems. GIL IS there a way to test on one of the pieces of sprue by painting it to see if it needs washing before, or the paint will hold? Or is it just a decision? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Actually, that sounds like an excellent way to do it. Test paint a few parts that either won't be used, or will be out of sight (the inside of a fuselage half) to see if problems develop. But, keep in mind that mold release may not be evenly spread through the parts. It may be left on only some parts, no parts, or all parts; so test painting may help, but it won't be fool proof. The other side to this is that the time you spend test painting could just as well be spent washing the parts. You won't save any time, but if it gives you piece of mind, it's worth it! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burner12 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Well the main reason i'm reluctant to do the washing is because i'm afraid I'd ruin it. I've never done that before and don't know how hard to press down or what to use to wash the parts with. Or how much soap and water to use and should they soak or be taken out immediately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Wash with soapy dishwater, with just enough dish soap to give the bowl some suds. GENTLY scrub them with an OLD toothbrush (less stiff bristles) using less vigor than when you brush your teeth. The finer and more delicate the resin part, the gentler the scrubbing. In fact, sometimes a simple dip (no scrubbing at all) in the soapy water followed by a rinse will be enough to do the job! Cheers! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burner12 Posted February 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thanks, I'll do that. But 1 question. What is a good set of brushes that can allow you to paint just 1 button in a 1/48 scale resin cockpit? And not get any extra paint on surrounding areas, as i have seen in many models? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Get a 10/0 (ten-ought) brush at your hobby shop or local art supply store. I also recommend using a good acrylic paint for the fine details, or even some white oil paint (thinned appropriately). Enamel and lacquer whites tend to dry on the brush hairs too quickly to do several buttons at a time, and the paint tends to build up more making it hard to do the finest details. Dry brushing those fine details is often easier than spot painting them! Other than that, it merely takes skill and magnification to see what you're doing! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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